Sunday, February 21, 2010

Blue

This was a free verse poem for Creative Writing, but we had a few stipulations. First, we had to use a color as the title, and then write a poem that's the opposite of what people normally associate with that color. Most people think of Blue as sad, so I made mine more of an upbeat, exciting poem. I had to use some form of water in it (drizzle, drip, ice, etc.) as well as evoke the name of a place. My professor wants me to expand on some things, so this will possibly change, but here's my poem for now:

Blue

By Julie Carter

Gaze out over the sharp white wing
pointing like an arrow to the city
I have always dreamed about,
its glittering rectangles stretching toward the sky.

Rivulets cling to the double-plated glass,
latching on for moments
before being sucked away
by the pull of the engine, reaching

like the excitement that leaps from my stomach, ready
to get there in the hub of progress,
people seeping from the subways
and hurrying like ants along the concrete grid.

Glide through the majestic expanse, the destination hidden
beneath a carpet of clouds until
we slice through them in a slanted descent
as the toy-sized forms become giants.

© 2010 Julie Carter


Wednesday, February 17, 2010

"Tango on Your Tongue"

Last week, Tau Beta Sigma (the music service sorority I'm in) participated in Alpha Delta Pi’s annual Blend-Off competition and earned 2nd place! Alpha Delta Pi, a campus social sorority, hosts Blend-Off as a fun philanthropic event benefiting the Ronald McDonald House. Campus groups are invited to enter in the contest and create a “mocktail” beverage (non-alcoholic) that Blend-Off attendees can enjoy. The teams are judged by a panel that awards points for the taste of the drink, creativity of the display, participation by the group, and spirit. Team members also donate collected soda tabs and spare change, and the total collected is added on to the team’s overall score.


I was in charge of planning Blend-Off this year, and I couldn't have done it without my Little's help and the rest of the committee at the event. Our team’s drink was “Tango on Your Tongue,” and we stuck with an elegant, Spanish theme and incorporated music, of course. The drink was a tangy, fruity blend of pineapple juice, cranberry juice cocktail, orange juice, lemon juice, apple juice, and ginger ale. Everyone seemed to have a great time, and we received positive feedback about our drink and decorations. My Little made our awesome sign board, and a judge who is a graphic designer complimented us on it. I was chosen at the last minute to compete for the title of “Mardi Gras Queen,” where a representative from each group answers trivia questions about Alpha Delta Pi and Ronald McDonald House. While the other groups had been studying the information for awhile, I was given the study sheet just 10 minutes before the competition because we realized no one was prepared to compete! I was quite nervous, but after cramming faster than I ever have for any test, I ended up tying for 2nd place! We then found out that we had won 2nd place overall for the entire competition, and claimed our fabulous prize—a limo ride and dinner for 8 at Del Frisco’s in Dallas!! Beta Delta has now proudly earned 2nd place two years in a row… maybe we will get 2nd place next year? It was really fun, and great experience to plan our portion of this big event.






Thursday, February 11, 2010

I'm dreaming of a white... Valentine's Day?

Disclaimer: I stole the title from my lovely grandlittle, Kayla, because I thought it was so fitting.

I could not have asked for a better day for a snow day. It has been a busy week, and I stayed up very late last night working on the multiple assignments that I had due today. I finally crawled into bed at 4 a.m., hoping for a snow day but totally not expecting one. It seems like when you THINK it will be a snow day, it never is. When my alarm went off at 8 a.m., I was not ready to get up and spend 6 hours in class, but then I saw the text message saying classes were cancelled. I was so excited, I jumped out of my bed and looked out my 3rd floor apartment window and saw a beautiful blanket of snow decorating the ground, trees, and roof. I think God knew exactly what I needed today, because I really needed a day to rest and catch up on laundry and homework. I promptly shut off my alarm, climbed back in my warm bed, and slept for 3 more hours. I only have classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so technically I will have had an entire week off by the time I go back to class on Tuesday. What a blessing!

In between writing a paper and doing laundry today, my roommate and I went outside and played in the pristine, white wonderland that beckoned to us from our warm apartment. Once I got over the initial shock of stepping into a thick, powdery layer of snow, I was more than happy to plough my way around our apartment complex, taking pictures and marveling at the white frosting that coated everything. It was absolutely beautiful, and so peaceful. I've been a Texas girl my whole life, so this was by far the most snow I've ever seen in my whole life! The snow was gently coming down as we played in it, and it was perfect. I made snow angels, which I hadn't done since I was little, and made a cute snowman family. My fingers started to go numb, so I had to go back inside, but I've been so content to watch the snow continue to fall the rest of the day. What a beautiful present just before Valentine's Day!






Personal Logo

For my Visual Communications class, we had to design a personal logo for ourselves. It could be absolutely anything, but it had to fit us and our personality. I designed the logo below because I think it fits me pretty well : ) I try to be an optimistic person and see the fun in life.



Sunday, February 7, 2010

College, the best 4 years

I have had yet another fun weekend, and it's not even over yet. This is the first time since Thursday that I have even thought about homework, and suddenly I just created a mile-long to-do list. I'll have to do quite a bit of work tonight and tomorrow if I want to be prepared for Tuesday, but I'm not very stressed out about it. This is quite out of character for me, as I've always been a good student and usually do things ahead of time. I don't plan to fall behind in my classes this semester... in fact, my goal is to do as well as possible, as always. Straight A's again would be nice. But, I have realized that this is my LAST semester in college, and I want to enjoy it! Instead of passing up opportunities by saying "well, i really should work on that paper that's due on friday...", I'm playing when I can and buckling down when I have to. I've learned quite well by now how to prioritize and juggle classes, a lot of activities, work, and a social life. I think I've got it down.

Looking back at my freshman year, I remember how my friends and I in my dorm always hung out. We would spend 7 hours in the same dorm room, staying up until all hours eating junk food, watching movies, talking, and laughing about everything. We were way less busy and all lived down the hallway from each other. We would do our homework together, have sleepovers, everything. Sure we had things to worry about, but looking back, that's what I think I will remember the most about college. At the time, I didn't even appreciate how much those days would already mean to me now, as I am a senior and ten times busier than I was back then. All my friends are busier too, and a lot of us live in different houses and apartments... a lot farther away than a few dorm room doors. Everyone keeps telling me that college is supposed to be the 4 best years of your life, and while there are many more things in life that I'm looking forward to, I totally believe it's true. So many freshmen I know are so ready to graduate, but now that I am three months away from graduation, I see how fast it flies by. When else in life are you able to be so independent, living with your best friends away from home, having fun, and learning, while often still having your parents pay for almost everything? After that, we are turned loose in the "real world."

I think I am ready for what comes next, but I plan to make the most of these next few months. I went to a late movie with some friends on a Sunday night, hung out at my Little's house even though I had things to do, and read a free-time book during the schoolweek, which I normally never have time to do. I went to a party last night where I got to catch up with a ton of friends and laugh at the antics of other people while I was completely sober.... and today, I still remember everything they did even though they probably don't! All in all, I am having a blast this last semester. I won't be able to stop myself from making endless to-do lists in my planner and stressing out a little, but you better believe that I will play with friends as much as possible between now and graduation!

Friday, February 5, 2010

Little Miss Betty Crocker... kind of : )

Tonight I cooked dinner for my roommates-- chicken with an apricot and mustard glaze, green beans (the good, tender kind), french bread, and mashed potatoes. Nothing too complicated, but I really enjoy cooking. And I especially like baking. Not that I ever try anything extravagant, just simple, yummy things like cakes, cookies, brownies. Anything chocolate is my favorite. My favorite creation so far was a chocolate cinnamon cake. I like to eat these yummy desserts, of course, but it's more than that. I enjoy making these things that I can share with my family and friends, because I love giving gifts of any kind. To me, it's even better than receiving gifts. I also love how relaxing baking is... except for the rare occasion when things go wrong, like the mixer overheating or the stove catching on fire (which did, in fact, happen to me once.) I can forget about anything else and focus only on adding the right ingredients, mixing them up, and watching it all turn into delicious dough or batter. From there, I put it in the oven and magically, a little while later I have a delicious dessert. I've always loved watching how all the simple ingredients come together to make something that tastes so good. Even leaving out one little thing changes the entire recipe, sometimes making it impossible to eat. The only reason I don't bake more often is that it usually is pretty time-consuming. It's a long process, and I think that's the reason people don't bake more often. Plus, with the store-bought cookie cakes, break and bake cookies, and brownie mixes, it's way faster to just grab a partially or completely made dessert. They never taste as good though. If you have the time, making your dessert from scratch is far more satisfying in both the taste and the realization that you created the entire thing. Baking, or even cooking from scratch, is becoming a lost art. I plan to continue baking, trying new recipes, and enjoying the final product : )

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

First attempt at "real" poetry

In my Creative Writing class, we are writing poetry. Not the "I love you, the sky is blue" kind of poetry that I wrote when I was a kid, but real, adult, free verse poetry. Not having to rhyme is nice, but every word in a poem really does have to have significance. I have a long way to go in my poetry writing, but I have already learned a lot. Poetry is so interesting because it's completely different from the structured writing I've done in my journalism classes. You can play with words, use a ton of adjectives, and get creative with punctuation and the layout of the poem. I'm trying to remember to show, not tell, in my poems.

What follows is my first poem for this class, based on a 15-minute free write where we began with the phrase "In the Beginning..." and wrote about whatever we wanted and whatever came to mind. We then were told to choose 12 lines from the free write and combine them into 6 couplets, which comprise my poem below. Enjoy, even though I'm no Shakespeare : )


In the Beginning

In the beginning, things were simple.
No such thing as multi-tasking, let alone an expectation of it.

In the beginning, there were no iPhones, no drive-thrus, no shopping malls.
Journeys could take months, instead of hopping on a flight to anywhere.

Communication was through letters, time-consuming and slow-traveling,
rather than a text message sent and received in an instant.

In the beginning, the basic necessities and family were enough to be happy.
No need for anything more.

Today we have so much, but so many are less happy than ever.
Maybe what’s supposed to make life easier has made it more complicated.

We hurry through life, never pausing to appreciate the beauty all around us.
Maybe in the beginning, they had it right.


© 2010 Julie Carter

Monday, February 1, 2010

Bringing back the blog

During my final semester here at TCU, I am taking an Itroduction to Creative Writing class. One of my on-going assignments is to journal about anything and everything, which is supposed to help me find inspiration for assignments. The journaling is all done on e-college so that only my professor sees the entries, but I decided that all this writing shouldn't go to waste. After finding this blog that I originally created for a class assignment my sophomore year, I am choosing to bring it back and start using it often. I may delete the old posts on it soon, as they were about a specific (and somewhat political) topic, but for now I'm leaving them up here.

I plan to use this as an outlet for my opinions, inspirations, thoughts, and chronicles of what I am up to. I hope you find it interesting, and please feel free to comment about anything I post on here. I have always enjoyed writing and hope I can find the time to keep up with this blog.